SAN DIEGO — When Esmerlyn Valdez walked back to the visitors’ dugout after making the second out of the third inning Monday night, chasing a low-and-away changeup out of the zone from Padres starter Robbie Ray, the Pirates rookie was none too happy.
But he didn’t let it consume him.
More mature than most 22-year-olds, motivated and captivated by the legacy of Roberto Clemente, Valdez was matter-of-fact about his failure, realizing in the moment there was still a lot of game left and he’d have another shot to make an impact.
“I just told myself, ‘Keep your head up.’ Your spot will come back up again,” Valdez said Tuesday, with Major League coach Stephen Morales translated. “And that’s what happened.”
What happened next is why the Pirates are so bullish on Valdez, who has certainly struggled in August, hitting .194 in 19 such games prior to the Pirates’ 12-inning victory over San Diego.
With a 1-1 count against Ray, a Cy Young Award winner in 2021, Valdez adjusted and found an outside fastball, cranking it 414 feet to center field for his first home run since July 26, a span of 25 games.
The swing felt good, Valdez said. He caught the ball out front, just like he’s been trying to do. But the more enjoyable part was seeing the work he’s put in and the adjustments he’s made pay dividends.
“We all know it’s not easy at this level, because everybody makes adjustments,” Valdez said. “I’m doing my best through my work to make adjustments, to put myself in a better spot as well. Hopefully it will work down the road.”
What happens with Valdez might be one of the more important storylines over the balance of this Pirates season.
Is he the guy who hit .318 with a 1.146 OPS that included seven doubles, a triple and 12 home runs in 32 games from June 11-July 26?=
Or the one who hit .177 with six doubles, no homers, a .583 OPS and 37 strikeouts in 100 plate appearances in 24 games prior to Monday?
The truth is probably somewhere in between; neither of those stat lines paint a completely accurate picture of Valdez. But where that falls will inform the Pirates of what they have in 2027 and beyond.
“That homer was big,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “Good to get him going again.”
How much Valdez helps the Pirates is evident in a few different ways.
Numbers-wise, his solo blast Monday gave the Pirates five players with 15 or more homers. Brandon Lowe leads the way with 27, followed by Ryan O’Hearn (17), Oneil Cruz (16) and Bryan Reynolds (16).
It’s the first time the Pirates have had five 15-homer guys since 2015, when Pedro Alvarez (27), Andrew McCutchen (23), Starling Marte (19), Neil Walker (16) and Jung Ho Kang (15) did it.
Valdez has also been one of the more productive Pirates rookies of late. His 15 homers are the most for a Pirates rookie since Jack Suwinski (19) and Cruz (17) in 2022. They’re the most by a righty hitting Pirates rookie since Jung Ho Kang’s 15 in 2015.
Across MLB, only Toronto’s Kazuma Okamooto has more homers among rookies since Valdez debuted.
What does all of that mean?
The Pirates can’t afford for Valdez to be a flash in the pan. It’s understandable the league adjusted, because it always does. Valdez has been seeing different pitch sequences, and teams aren’t as willing to throw him fastballs, because he’s slugging .619 on them.
Valdez knows this. He actually enjoys the cat-and-mouse game, as evidenced by the smile on his face whenever the topic was broached. But he also doesn’t spend a lot of time worrying about it.
Similar to the process that enabled Valdez to essentially zoom through all four Pirates affiliates in two seasons, he tries to keep his focus inward as much as possible.
“It hasn’t been easy trying to adapt,” Valdez said. “But that’s one thing I can control: come to the field and prepare myself for the battle every day. Even when I’m not playing, I keep my same routine and same mentality and prepare myself. That’s what it takes.”
If Valdez turns out to be real, the Pirates have a right-left combo with Oneil Cruz that packs some serious punch in the middle of their lineup. Those two plus O’Hearn should give the Pirates one of the most productive outfields in MLB.
There’s also personal pride at play. Valdez knows he has plenty to prove, just like his succession of at-bats Monday. He’s working and eying his next opportunity to do damage.
“He continues to impress with the way he’s working at punching back,” Kelly said. “He stays in the fight. He stays in the moment and continues to compete at a high level while continuing to work extremely hard to make the adjustments necessary to continue to get better.”
Jason Mackey: Jason.Mackey@pirates.com and @JMackey_PGH on X.